Date Posted: 04 March 2010
Researchers from the Oregon Health & Science University in Portland have demonstrated that a tail vein injection of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in the Royal College of Surgeon rat results in a preservation of rod and cone photoreceptors. The exciting research conducted at the Casey Eye Institute by Prof. Raymond Lund and his team shows the encouraging potential for MSCs in the treatment of retina degenerative disorders.
Retinitis pigmentosa has a worldwide prevalence of between 1 in 3,000 and 1 in 7,000 and currently there are no effective treatments available. The disease has been associated with over 180 genetic loci from which 130 genes have been identified which, when mutated, lead to photoreceptor degeneration. The research group used pluripotent bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells because they provided "an ideal source for therapy of inherited or degenerative disease", because they possess "autologous characteristic", and for their "ease of isolation". In addition, they are known to secrete neuro-vasculature growth factors and are far less contentious than other sources of stem cells.
Suspensions of 1 million MSCs in a balanced salt solution were injected into the tail vein of RCS rats at post-natal day 30 followed by histological and functional evaluation at post-natal day 90. In treated animals, the rod and cone photoreceptor layer maintained a thickness of 5-6 cells whereas control animals were reduced to a single layer. In addition, functional analysis measuring the optokinetic response and luminance thresholds showed a significant improvement in MSC treated animals. Prof. Lund and his team commented in their findings that the systemic administration appeared to exert a pan-retinal affect, compared to sub-retinal delivery which is often associated with a localised response. Their conclusion was that the study "provides preliminary evidence in support of potential clinical application, whereby a patient's own bone marrow cells can be used to treat retinal degeneration and ocular vascular pathology, such as that observed in diabetic retinopathy". [Wang et al, PLoS ONE, Feb 2010, Vol. 5, Iss. 2, e9200].
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